Mollie Katzen’s Cilantro Walnut Pesto

Give a bowl of pasta a nutty, herbaceous kick with a generous dollop of tangy Cilantro Walnut Pesto from Mollie Katzen. By Kalle Bergman

Cookbook author Mollie Katzen, who has a new book out titled, The Heart of the Plate: Vegetarian Recipes for a New Generation gives a bowl of cavatappi pasta a nutty, herbaceous kick with a generous dollop of tangy Cilantro Walnut Pesto. This lighter version of the iconic Italian staple breathes new life into soups, grains and pastas and sets the perfect tone for spring to come.

Enjoy this light, refreshing – and slightly different – pasta salad. It will look familiar, but taste surprising, in a very subtle way—try it hot or cold. Be sure to make the pesto well ahead of time for optimum flavor.

Kalle Bergman is a food writer and media entrepreneur who is the founder of Honest Cooking. As a food writer, his writing has been regularly featured in publications like Gourmet, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post and Serious Eats. He is obsessed with simple food, more often than not from his native Scandinavia.